Medical images generated by an imaging modality, such as X-rays, CAT (computerized axial tomography) scans, and MRI's (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), are commonly digitized to facilitate reading by doctors at remote locations. In use, hospitals and other healthcare providers commonly use systems to capture and digitize the medical images. The medical images are typically transmitted from the modality to a remote image server such as a Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS). This transmission may occur over a network, such as an intranet or the Internet.
Additionally, the hospital may also transmit orders corresponding to the images to an order server, such as a Radiologist Information System (RIS). Orders are used to request a doctor to interpret, or read, the images and return a diagnostic report. Orders may also contain additional information related to the image or the patient, such as a patient identifier, the procedure type associated with the image, patient demographic information, and a hospital identifier. Thus, orders may be submitted by hospitals and healthcare providers to identify the patient and instruct the radiologist to provide information for a specific medical condition.